“My defects are my voice, height, gestures, lack of culture and education, frankness and lack of personality” said Charles Aznavour (1924 – 2018) about himself, in a description that cannot be called modest, but unfair. The last and greatest troubadour, the poet of hearts, the voice of emotions, the gentle, the kind, the master of verse, the romantic, the eternal singer, Aznavour was considered the ambassador of French song.
With a career spanning over 70 years and an impressive discography – 51 studio albums in French, plus 41 studio albums in other foreign languages, 23 live albums and over 200 compilation albums (over 1200 recorded songs in total), this Frank Sinatra of France has sold more than 180 million units worldwide, a figure that places him among some of the best-selling artists of all time.
Charles Aznavour, a Frenchman of Armenian origin, had a novel life. Song, verse, audience, success, harmony, love, sadness, but also moments about which less is known. During World War II, Aznavour and his family helped hide and rescue Armenians, Jews and other people persecuted by the Nazis. Aznavour was an activist and diplomat for the Armenian people, including serving as Armenia’s official ambassador. The activities of the Aznavour family during the war were recognized with the Raoul Wallenberg Prize in 2017 by Reuven Rivlin, then president of Israel, in his statement saying “the Aznavours were closely linked to the Missak Manouchian Resistance Group and provided shelter to the persecuted by Nazis in their own apartment in Paris, risking their own lives’.
Charles Aznavour was also a supporter of civil rights and LGBTQ rights (“Comme ils disent” from his 1972 album Idiote je t’aime, broke the taboo that existed at the time around discussing homosexuality, talking about rape and depression in this piece, and creating a sympathetic portrait of a transvestite in an era when French music discreetly avoided the subject of homosexuality). Then, 1987’s “Je Bois” was a spectacularly bleak portrait of an inveterate middle-aged drunk suffering from an existential crisis and prostate problems. “It’s kind of a disease I have, talking about things you shouldn’t talk about. I started with homosexuality and I wanted to break all the taboos”, said the artist in an interview.
In addition to music, Charles Aznavour was also involved in acting, appearing in over 80 films for the big screen and television. In May 2024, in honor of Aznavour’s 100th birthday, a 100-CD box set was released, including all his studio and live recordings, in French and other foreign languages, along with some bonus content.
Aznavour’s career highlights include opening a concert by the famous Edith Piaf, who encouraged him to continue in this direction, writing his first song in 1944, teaming up with actor Pierre Roche to perform in nightclubs and, as already mentioned, the release of numerous studio albums.
He has received many awards and honors, both for his efforts as a wartime activist and as a valuable soloist and songwriter, receiving approximately sixty gold and platinum records between 1974 and 2001, and being named an ambassador of Armenia in Switzerland and Permanent Delegate of Armenia to the United Nations in Geneva.
Charles Aznavour, originally Shahnour Vaghinak Aznavourian in Paris, was born on May 22, 1924 in Paris, in a family of Armenian immigrants Michael (Misha) Aznavourian and Knar Baghdasarian, being the youngest of two children (he had a sister named Aida). Misha, a former singer, ran a small Armenian restaurant in the Rue de la Huchette district of Paris, where actors and musicians used to hang out. It was Charles’ parents, both artists, who encouraged his performing skills from an early age. In the late 1940s, Aznavour debuted as a dancer, and later began writing songs and performing as a soloist. His first successes came in Canada, between 1948-1950, with Pierre Roche as his partner. They then returned to France, where they opened for Edith Piaf at the Le Jora Shahinyan theater in Montmartre, Piaf advising him to pursue a singing career after recognizing his talent. She also helped him develop his distinctive voice, which highlighted both his tenor range and low baritone notes, contributing to a unique sound.
He has written or co-written over 1,000 songs and recorded ninety-one studio albums. Aznavour’s career spanned seven decades, during which he received approximately sixty gold and platinum records worldwide. He passed away on October 1, 2018.
Aznavour frequently sang about love, but also wrote or co-wrote musicals dealing with various themes, such as homosexuality (“Comme ils disent”), which was revolutionary at the time due to social norms regarding sexuality. He has sung in several languages, including French, English, Italian, Spanish, German, Russian, Armenian, Neapolitan and Kabyle, performing at Carnegie Hall in New York, among other major venues around the world. He also recorded songs from different genres, such as classical music (“Ave Maria” with Luciano Pavarotti) or traditional Armenian music (“Im Yare”). One of his most successful songs from this period was “Que C’est Triste Venise”, sung in French, Italian (“Com’è Triste Venezia”), Spanish (“Venecia Sin Ti”), English (” How Sad Venice Can Be”) and German (“Venedig in Grau”).
Aznavour was married three times – to Micheline Rugel (in 1946), to Evelyn Plessis (in 1956) and to Ulla Thorsell (from 1967 until his passing), from all these three marriages resulting in six children: Seda, Charles , Patrick, Patrick, Katia, Mischa and Nicolas.
Charles Aznavour passed away on October 1, 2018, at the age of 94.
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Source: www.descopera.ro
